By the Glassy Sea
by epikhippo
Summary: Hermione slowly lowered her wand, "That was a year ago, how am I supposed to trust you Malfoy." Gently fingering the end of her loose braid, Draco murmured, "This. This is why you should trust me Granger." Letting go of her hair, he lifted his left arm and rolled up his sleeve, exposing the scar that raged against his pale skin-blood traitor. The war rages on. AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! This is my first fanfic consisting of more serious plot (compared to my other rather light-hearted fic, Wizards). With that said, I hope you guys enjoy!**

**A beginning with the end.**

* * *

_**3 years and 25 days since the Battle of Hogwarts...**_

Nobody really knew where they were. All they knew was that there was a sea—a beautiful, glassy sea that seemed to sway back and forth. No one knew what the sea was called—Hermione just knew this is where the Order found refuge. This quietness unnerved her because it was so different, so different than the last few weeks. Hermione counted in her head—exactly two years and twenty-five days have passed since the battle at Hogwarts. Two long years of fighting the remaining Death Eaters who, to the Order's surprise, have accumulated forces so quickly that the last two years seemed to be a never-ending guerrilla war. Until twenty-five days ago, they seemed to be winning, for the Death Eaters seemed to be weaker and less organized. And if it wasn't for Lucius Malfoy, they would've been burned alive by the fiendyfire at the devastating attack at the Burrow.

Exactly two years and twenty-five days ago, Lucius Malfoy walked up to Kingsley and the rest of the Order with as much dignity a broken man could have, and Hermione didn't know how else to put it, he changed sides. Lucius warned Kingsley in whispered tones that the war was far from over. They have been fighting ever since—Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy, along with the Order. During the two years, nobody, not even his wife, knew that Lucius carried around six portkeys. Six portkeys covered in cloth deep within his robe pockets that would lead them to this little cottage next to an unknown sea—so isolated, that when they were pulled and dropped by the portkey, Hermione thought that she had died, and this was heaven. She could remember the panic that tightened her lungs and frantically looked around to make sure everyone was alive: Harry, Ron, Ginny, Molly, Arthur, Kingsley, Minerva, Narcissa, and Lucius. When her list stopped there, she was lightheaded. To her right was the sea, swaying gently, unperturbed by the sudden arrival of witches and wizards, and to her left was a little, battered, white cottage. Gathering the last bits of her strength, Hermione staggered to her feet when a voice, filled with determination and panic reached her ears. Despite the thick fog that was claiming her body, she could remember the familiar platinum blonde hair grazing her forehead and one word—_Granger. _

At that memory, Hermione gently traced the angry red scar that started from her neck and spread to her left shoulder. No matter how many glamour charms Ginny had used, it was still visible against her white dress. With a sigh, Hermione leaned against the windowsill, running a hand along the long, intricate braid Molly had helped her with. Hermione looked down at her dress that swayed along her ankles. The dress was made of just plain cotton, but given their circumstances, it was perfect—so she smiled.

* * *

Draco Malfoy quietly observed Hermione from the doorway. She was only at most, five steps away, but she seemed to be lost in her thoughts—she almost seemed _peaceful. _A gentle breeze came through the open window, and he watched her white dress dance around her ankles. Draco couldn't see her face, but he knew that she was smiling—she always tilted her head to the right. And when Hermione Granger smiled, she was beautiful. Draco didn't have to see her soft lips to know because even from the back, she was beautiful. He noticed that her hair was braided and rested against her bare back. To Draco, she was a goddess, and he was unworthy.

He put his hands in his jean pocket and looked down at his worn white button-down shirt that his father had found in the cottage for this celebration. He didn't even know whose it was, but lately, no one knew anything, so it was okay. He had rolled up the sleeves to his elbows and almost let out a mirthless chuckle at the sight of his left arm. Ironically, the fiendyfire had lapped on his left arm, where the dark mark had been. Now, it was a marble of red and black starting from his palm to his elbows. He let out a heavy sigh—Hermione's burns were much worse than his. Before he could think about what he could've done to prevent the burns on her body, a gentle, chiding voice made him look up.

"Draco! You're not supposed to see me—it's bad luck!"

With a grin, he reached Hermione in five steps and pressed a quick kiss on the top of her head.

Hermione rolled her eyes and tried to act annoyed, "I'll see you soon, Draco. Now get outside—where you're _supposed _to be."

Two years and twenty-five days ago, if Draco was at the receiving end of Hermione's commanding tone, he would've despised it. But it was different now—very different indeed. Just as he stepped through the doorway and felt his toes sink in the cool sand, he heard his father's voice.

"You would think that he would have _some _sense of propriety—traipsing inside to see you, rolling up his sleeves like a common fool," Lucius Malfoy remarked shaking his head.

Hermione laughed softly, "He is a fool, isn't he. I'm impressed you found a suitable shirt for him—thank you, Lucius."

Raising his chin ever so slightly, he replied, "Of course I can find something suitable." Offering up his arm, he cleared his throat, "Now, we don't have much time, and I'm sure Narcissa and everyone else for that matter is dying to see you."

Linking her arms through his, Hermione nodded, "Are you sure you want to keep your shoes on? It's much easier to walk without them you know."

"I'm the only one in this house that has any ounce of manners left—I will leave them on."

Just as they were about to step out, Hermione said softly, "Thank you for _everything_. Really, I don't know what we would've done without your port-"

"I was just returning the favor, Miss Granger," Lucius stiffly replied. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a single, yellow rose.

Hermione's eyes widened, "Oh my—how, where on Earth did you—"

Lucius politely cut her off, "Consider it a present from me and Narcissa."

Grasping the single stem in one hand, Hermione closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and stepped out into the sand with only the music of the glassy sea and delighted gasps of surprise.

* * *

Draco heard the gasps and took deep breaths through his nose before turning around to see—_her. _He did see her just minutes before, but Hermione Granger was absolutely breathtaking. He saw the single yellow rose in her hand. Subtly meeting his father's eyes, Draco nodded in acknowledgment and between the Malfoy men—that was all they needed. Draco couldn't take his eyes off of her. He knew that the others did their best to make themselves presentable for such an occasion. He knew that they were standing, creating an invisible aisle for her to walk down. He knew that his mother was crying quietly into her handkerchief with Molly quietly soothing her. He knew that Potter was holding Ginny's hand, and Ron was fidgeting. But the one thing, one woman that he _knew and felt _from his heart was walking steadily towards him. He couldn't fathom how much he loved her or how much she loved him or how it even came to be, but the closer she got, those thoughts dissipated, and he could only stare at Hermione, _his _Hermione.

Draco didn't realize his eyes were filled with tears until his father placed a strong, supportive hand on his shoulder and for the first time in his life heard the words, "I'm proud of you, son," escaping from his father's mouth. Draco rapidly blinked away his tears and gave a rare smile, a real smile to his future. Kingsley's brief ceremonial words fell on deaf ears as Draco was lost in Hermione's deep brown eyes. They couldn't be out for too long so in a matter of seconds, Draco barely registered the words, _you may kiss the bride, _before he pulled her to him and pressed their bodies together as he kissed her with so much emotion he could possible pour as their little crowd ardently applauded and cheered.

* * *

Hermione smiled as she nestled against Draco's bare chest. For the first time in two years and twenty-five days, she felt peaceful. She felt so calm and safe against Draco's steady breathing against her bare back. For once, she was thankful. Thankful because she knew, everyone knew that even the worst situations could be a source of something so, so—beautiful. Hermione knew that tomorrow, things would go back to normal—all the work, planning, and preparing. But that was okay because she had Draco, her companion—husband. And with that idea painting a brighter picture over all the tragedies, after tonight she would no longer think about two years and twenty-five days ago. After tonight, the days would go back to zero—with Draco, she would never keep time or days, it was just the two of them in the present—always.

* * *

Draco held Hermione—his _wife, _in his arms and smiled as he felt her relaxing into his chest. He gently kissed the red scar that was still noticeable in the dark. He didn't know why she was so self-conscious about it sometimes because he thought she was beautiful-with or without it. At the sound of a quiet hum of approval, he smiled. He was happy. They had been in this forsaken cottage for twenty-five days without any news from the other safe houses. Listening to her gentle breaths and the rhythm of the sea, Draco remembered the last night at the burrow. He held her a little tighter as he recalled the feeling of pure despair, hopelessness that consumed him when he thought she didn't make it out of the fiendyfire. Little did he know that his father, his _father _of all people had grabbed her, along with Potter and Molly before the portkey activated and landed them here. Draco held her even tighter as he remembered the strange feeling that he felt from his gut that something was wrong just seconds before the fire consumed the Burrow. He tried to cast that out of his mind; the idea that he was still connected somehow to the other side was repulsive. His father had pulled him aside on the second day at the cottage; they decided that this was to stay between them and would alert the Order as soon as they suspected another attack. However, Draco knew that Hermione knew—he just knew.

Draco froze. Something was off. He heard brisk steps coming up the stairs and light flooded the room. No—no, couldn't he get _one _day with her without the war looming over them? His heart pounded as Hermione stirred in his arms, confused about the light and the sudden chaos of movement and sound. As soon as Draco looked into her eyes, she understood. Draco couldn't move—he didn't _want _to move. But he was pulled out of his haze when Hermione's warm lips found his with such fervor that instinctively he cupped her face, memorizing her scent, her taste, just in case—just in case it was the last time. The two of them reached under the bed to grab the clothes they put there, in preparation for a time like this, and dressed so quickly that by the time the second person reached upstairs, their fingers were intertwined. A streak of red sliced through the sky, illuminating the glassy sea as he squeezed her hand once, wands at the ready, and descended into the chaos—_together._

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**A/N: Please R&R! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello, readers! So, I am officially joining the worlds of my previous story _Finding Their Way Home _and the no longer one-shot _By the Glassy Sea _together! I'm really excited this story, so I hope you are too! Pretty much, the first chapter was the 'epilogue', and I'm going to go back and fill in the details! But no worries, I'm going to eventually catch up and continue where I left off with the first chapter.**

**Enjoy**

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**_2 years ago..._  
**

Panting, Hermione was trying to outrun the mass of dementors chasing her. A thin layer of ice began to cover the ground, and frozen branches scraped against her face and arms. Tasting the bitter metallic of her blood trickling down, she forced herself to run even faster. Pumping her arms, she pushed through the ache that was now coursing through her body. Her patronus was definitely strong enough to ward off the dementors, but she was scared, panicked. The only happy memory she could think of was holding Ginny and Harry's hand before they were thrown into this hellhole. Puffs of white air came out of her mouth and nose. It was colder, the crisp air sunk into her bones. With a thud, her right shoulder slammed into the tree. She tumbled forward with a yelp. Frantic, she whipped out her wand, and desperately yelled in a hoarse voice, "Expecto Patronum!" Nothing. Nothing but little wisps of white air. She could feel the despair taking over her usually optimistic attitude. Just as she closed her eyes, and lowered her wand, she felt a vice like grip on her upper arm. She screamed. Screamed with fear, and pain. A gruff voice filled her ears,

"Get up Granger. I said get up!" forcing her up, he whips her behind him with a grunt. "Expecto Patronum!"

A magnificent hawk, shot out of his wand, with a wingspan covering numerous trees. The hawk flew high in the air and darted towards the dementors with a resounding shriek, and it was quiet again. Dazed from the cold and physical exhaustion, Hermione staggered backwards, looking at him with wide, questioning eyes. He couldn't be trusted, none of them could. As far as she knew, running alone was the best thing to do. Just as she was going to bolt, his stern voice sliced through the silence,

"Wait Granger. Running isn't going to help anyone."

Slowly raising her wand, in her shaking right hand she spat, "Now why should I trust you, Malfoy."

"Fuck!" he shoved his wand in his holster, and whispered furiously, "You were almost annihilated by those bloody dementors! Dammit Granger, I KNOW that you who saved me from those werewolves."

"I couldn't just LEAVE you there Malfoy," she shrieked. "No one deserves to die like that!"

"Shut it! You're going to attract them here," he furiously whispered. "I don't owe you _anything _anymore, so why can't you just accept the fact that _I _helped you. You can trust me now!" He took a bold step closer to her, his shoes crunching against the half-frozen dirt.

Hermione froze and steadied her wand to his chest. "Don't. Stop right there."

Noticing that her voice wavered slightly, he cautiously walked closer to her. "Want to know how I conjured that patronus Granger?" He looked straight into her eyes, and kept walking until her wand was pressing into his chest. "I didn't want you to die," he slowly enunciated. With no hint of expression etched on his face, he went on, "I remembered what it was like, sprawled on the ground, surrounded by werewolves, _knowing, _that I was going to die, and I heard you. Heard your voice. You blasted that bloody thing off of me, and that was when I realized that _somebody _cared. I didn't care that it was you, part of the bloody Golden Trio," he spat.

Hermione slowly lowered her wand to her side, "That was a year ago, how am I supposed to trust you Malfoy."

Gently fingering the end of her loose braid, he locked eyes with her, "This. This is why you should trust me Granger." Letting go of her hair, he slowly lifted his left arm and rolled up his sleeve. He exposed his gruesome scar that started from his wrist to his elbow that read, _blood traitor. _

Hermione let out a gasp, "They… they did this to you?" She looked up at him, bodies only inches away.

"The handiwork of my deranged aunt, we match," he said with a humorless chuckle. "If this isn't enough to convince you, maybe this will."

There was a rustle behind the bush, and thinking it was a trap, Hermione abruptly stepped back and glared at Draco. However when she saw a messy head of blonde hair, she stuffed her wand in her holster and ran up to the figure,

"Luna! Oh my gosh, I thought you were gone!" Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. She hugged Luna in a tight hug, as tears began to well up in her eyes. "It's been so long, months. All this time, you were with Malfoy?"

Luna gently pried Hermione off and smiled, "Time to time yes. He's a rather helpful companion."

Hermione turned around, and gave Draco a quizzical look. He shrugged,

"One day, I saw her lurking in the trees, just watching me. Then she started to leave berries and stuff behind. Now we would travel together until she would disappear again."

Hermione glimpsed at Luna, who was smiling, and observed Draco. He squirmed uncomfortably as Hermione processed this information. After a long silence, she asked, "Are you two the only ones?"

"No, not exactly," he replied. He made a motion with his hands, and Luna went back to the bushes. A few moments later, Luna emerged with a pale girl with black hair, and a tall, dark figure trailing after them.

"Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini?!"

Draco shushed her and replied, "I know it's strange, but you have to trust-"

He was cut off by a long howl, coming from the woods. Everyone tensed, and drew their wands. Quietly, they grouped together, everyone except Hermione. There was another howl. It was closer and louder, followed by echoes of different howls coming from different directions.

"Granger! Get your stubborn little arse over here!" Draco searched her eyes for any kind of agreement, but all he saw was fear and doubt. "Come on _mudblood!" _At that word, Hermione seemed to jerk into focus.

"Come on, Hermione!" exclaimed Luna. She extended her hand out to her, and urged her to join them.

Hermione looked at Draco one last time, with a nod of acknowledgement and ran over to Luna. Clutching her hand, she whispered, "Thanks Luna."

Luna squeezed Hermione's hand, and with a voice so calm and light, she practically sang, "Alrighty everyone. Just like we always do."

Hermione started to ask nervously, "What do-"

"Don't worry Granger, you'll figure it out," Draco said with a confident drawl.

* * *

**A/N: I'd really appreciate your thoughts! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I was reallly happy to hear positive feedback, so I wrote some more-yay! I'd love your thoughts on Pansy (because I've never written her before). Also, I'm not the best at writing 'action' scenes, but I did my best, so please be gentle!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Hermione's insides were reeling, twisting, fluttering; in all her days traveling alone, she never ran into werewolves of all creatures. She felt Luna's hand tugging hers and stifled a yelp when she couldn't see her. Disillusionment charm. Forcing herself to relieve the vice grip she had on her wand, she did her best to relax and cast the spell on herself. She was disoriented. It was dark, and she couldn't see anyone. How did they function without being able to see each other? Hermione felt a shoulder pressed against hers and a warm breath whispered, "Granger, hold on to Luna. The rest of us came up with a charm so we can see each other. We'll figure it out later, but make sure you hold on so you don't get blasted by one of us."

Gripping Luna's hand a little tighter, Hermione squinted into the darkness and fear set in when she saw the shadowy wolves slowly approaching.

"Luna, there's too many. T-They were probably hunting us-" Draco quietly stammered.

Hermione could hear a quiet gasp from Pansy or Luna, and tensed when Draco firmly grasped her upper arm. A long howl broke the silence, and the wolves sprinted towards them.

"To the trees, everyone!" Luna exclaimed.

Hermione stuffed her wand in her pocket and still grasping Luna's hand, Hermione jerked out of Malfoy's grasp and tried to keep up with the invisible witch. Once they reached the massive tree, Hermione sputtered, "L-Luna, I can't climb!"

"Jump, Hermione! Just try to grab that branch!"

Just as Hermione jumped, she felt herself being levitated to the third branch, where she found Luna's hand again. "What do we do now?" Hermione whispered.

Giving Hermione's hand a squeeze, Luna replied, "Now, we wait."

* * *

Once the last of the growls turned into distant howls, Hermione leaned her head back against the tree. They had been perched up on the highest branches, and while the tree was rather big, that didn't pacify the fact that she was still not on solid ground.

"We can go back down now; they're gone," Luna chimed.

Hermione nodded and dispelled the disillusionment charm. However, once she looked down, her palms were slick; the daylight seemed to highlight the distance between her and the forest floor.

"Merlin, Granger. Do I have to levitate you down too?" Draco taunted.

Hermione huffed. "No—I can climb down, _myself_."

Blaise crossed his arms next to Draco and remarked, "Stubborn as always."

Pansy rolled her eyes and said to no one in particular, "We need to get moving before they pick up on our scent—again."

Hermione swallowed and wiped her sweaty palms against her jeans. Ignoring the blatant stares from the people below, she shuffled her way towards the trunk, and let out a yelp when she felt herself being levitated _again, _embarrassingly slowly to the ground.

"Pansy's right. We don't have all day," said Draco while putting his wand back in his pocket.

Trying to maintain her dignity, Hermione straightened her shoulders and held her head high. Draco's smirk didn't go unnoticed.

Before she could say anything, Draco tossed her a purple water bottle. Hermione caught it and suppressed a smile.

Pansy scoffed, "Just because lover boy gave you his water doesn't mean you can slow us down, Grang—um, Hermione."

Draco cleared his throat, gave Hermione a curt nod, and started walking behind Pansy and Blaise.

"Let's go, Hermione. You're with us now," Luna smiled and skipped ahead to catch up with the Slytherins ahead.

Hermione smiled back and looked down at the purple water bottle. It was strange, almost funny, to see something just so—so muggle. Unscrewing the top, Pansy's comment went through her mind, she called her Hermione and referred to Draco as lover boy—what a childish remark. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she was grateful for Pansy. Pansy reminded her of Hogwarts, the gossip, girlish giggles, and quarrels. After being on her own for so long, she realized she missed this, this companionship—even if it wasn't with her fellow Gryffindors. She tilted her head back and took a swig of the surprisingly fresh water. The thought of Draco's lips drinking from the same water bottle invaded her mind, but she couldn't have those thoughts—not now at least. Casting a quick _scourgify, _she resealed the bottle and tucked it in her little beaded bag, and marched on, catching up with the odd group she had stumbled upon.

* * *

Draco wondered what the _hell _was taking Granger so long to catch up with them. Surely, if she had been by herself all this time, she wouldn't be so damn slow. Just as he was about turn his head to check on her, Blaise asked,

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"Come on, you can tell me, mate. You wouldn't even give me a bloody sip of your water," whined Blaise.

Draco rolled his eyes. "That's because you forgot to fill it up when you were too busy—what are you, twelve?"

Blaise elbowed Draco's arm, "Bloody wanker. Where the hell are we going anyways?"

"I'll tell you tonight."

"You better, cause Pansy's not getting any more patient. Also—are you sure it's wise to leave Granger straggling behind? She can't even climb a bloody tree!"

Draco whipped his head around, making sure that Granger was still following them. He was perplexed at how his water bottle was being stored in her tiny bag; he reminded himself to ask her later. "So? I know that Pansy _still _has to cast the disillusionment charm on you."

Blaise grumbled and jogged up to walk side by side with Pansy, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder if Granger drank some of the water and if her lips were still as soft and willing as he remembered years ago during their Hogwarts years. No, he couldn't think of her like that—not yet at least. They would talk, if she wanted. But it would be after he told them where they were going.

* * *

"Come on Draco, I'm tired of waiting," said Pansy, stifling a yawn.

Hermione reached into her little bag and pulled out three blankets. Handing one to Pansy and Blaise, and the other to Draco, Hermione motioned for Luna to scoot closer so they could share one. Popping a berry Luna gathered earlier in her mouth, Hermione looked around. The moonlight seemed to dance around the witches and wizards sitting in a loose circle. Hermione could see Pansy's frustrated frown, Blaise's arm draped around Pansy, Luna's hands tinted with reds and purples from the berry picking, and Draco's blonde hair even paler in the moonlight.

Draco let out a heavy sigh, "We're going back to Wiltshire."

"What the _fuck, _man," Blaise furiously whispered. "We can't go back—are you out of your damn mind?"

"Let me finish," growled Draco. "A couple days ago, Luna found an owl holding a message. We're not going back to the manor first." He glanced towards Hermione before he continued. "In the woods surrounding the manor, my mother has a concealed cottage that only can be seen by her, her husband, and children."

For the first time, Hermione spoke, "How do we know that it's not a trap? To lure you back in?"

"The message was written from inside the cottage. There's a Malfoy seal that appeared when I read it."

"Exactly _how _does that seal appear? How do you know it's legitimate?" asked Hermione.

"Blood magic," replied Draco. "My mother told me a while back. One drop of Malfoy blood on the parchment will reveal the seal. Look, I know it's hard to believe but-"

"Right after he read it, the parchment disintegrates. I saw it myself," Luna explained. "The message seemed to imply that others were there as well."

Blaise huffed, "How come you're telling us now? Why didn't you tell us when you got it?"

Draco seemed to lose his calm exterior, "Because I wasn't sure! I wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not. But seeing that Granger just happened to stumble upon us-"

"Oh, so _she's _a good enough reason for you to pursue this ridiculous idea?" hissed Pansy. "Why not three days ago when Blaise _broke _his arm—huh? I know you pretty well, Draco." Standing up, she jabbed a finger in his direction, "You were waiting for her. Don't lie to me." With that, Pansy stomped away from the small circle, with Blaise trailing after her.

Luna stood up, "I'm going to make sure Blaise and Pansy don't wander off too far."

Hermione shifted, too-aware of Malfoy's stare. If she were to ask him about what Pansy said, too many questions would follow, and whatever the answers, she knew she needed time.

"It's true, you know," Draco murmured. "They're all there—my mother, father, and supposedly even the Weasleys."

Hermione's eyes widened, "T-The Weasleys? How?"

"The messaged mentioned something about the 'King's family,' and Luna informed me that Weasley was known as the 'king' so I assumed that's what that was."

"You really think they're there?"

"Even Luna thinks so—you know how she has a bizarre sixth sense."

"That seems like the best option."

Draco nodded. He was relieved that Granger decided not to bring up what Pansy said. But a part of him wanted to ask her if she really did believe him. He wanted to ask her if she was okay. She was so close. He could reach over and touch her scarred cheek or graze her delicate knees. But he knew now wasn't the time. With Pansy and Blaise upset with him to say the least and the werewolves that seemed to be tracking them, there were bigger problems to solve. So when Granger closed the space between them and dropped the purple water bottle in his lap, Draco looked into her eyes and gave her the smallest of smiles—hoping she would understand.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: _Thank you _to all for reviewing/following/favoriting this story! While this one may not be filled with fun moments and laughs like my other one, I really do love writing this. I usually don't update as quickly as this, but I'm making an effort! (I don't like long waits for WIPs either) **

**As usual, happy reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)**

* * *

Pansy fumed. "Hermione fucking Granger—I _hate _her, Blaise!" she hissed, kicking the rotten leaves.

Taking a careful step towards her, Blaise joked, "Jealous because you're not the only girl in the group, Pans?"

"I _swear, _Blaise. You say one more thing, and I'll feed you to the wolves."

"Dammit, I was only kidding!" Blaise slowly reached for her hands. Once he felt her small hands relax a little, he pulled her close, "I'm here for you—alright? That's what we promised. I don't know about you, but I don't plan on throwing you over to the wolves anytime soon—even if you _do _keep up the adorable bitching."

"If you say so," mumbled Pansy. She rested her head against Blaise's firm chest and sighed.

"What's really wrong?"

"Remember a couple weeks back when I suggested we head towards the Manor?"

"Yeah—I wanted to, too."

She shrugged, still resting her forehead against Blaise. "Draco was so against it. And now that Granger just magically appeared, he wants to go back. I mean—fine, he and Luna came across a bloody message but still…"

"I know; it is a bit weird."

"It's not just that, Blaise. If we're really heading back to Wiltshire, Draco's changing our plans—we'll be going the _opposite _way! What does that say about his judgment? If he knew what he was doing, he wouldn't have changed his mind so quickly."

Blaise remained silent. Listening to Pansy made him question Draco. Up till the days leading to the Battle of Hogwarts, the three of them came up with a plan—head east and eventually reach Italy; Blaise was sure his mother still owned an obscure manor from one of her late husbands.

They didn't want to fight. But what they didn't plan for was Bellatrix's hunt for Draco. Blaise shuddered thinking about the state they found him—left for dead in the forest surrounding the Manor. Pansy had healed him as best as she could, and the trio headed east.

The continuing war was too vivid. Blaise could remember clamping his hand across Pansy's mouth, preventing her from giving away their hiding spot as she held Draco's hand in a vice-grip. He could remember every tremor wracking her small frame—special effects from the Death Eater's slicing curse. The three of them—occasionally Luna, stuck together. Naturally, Draco became the official decision maker; it had always been like that so Blaise couldn't complain.

However, Granger's sudden appearance seemed to shift something within his best mate. Blaise could never figure out the extent of the history between Draco and Granger. But after seeing Draco's reaction—well, it made sense. During their sixth year, Blaise could've sworn he saw Granger leaving the Slytherin common room, but Draco had insisted that Blaise had imagined it. If Draco was going to focus his attentions on Granger, then Blaise would keep Pansy even closer by. She had always been much smaller, so petite.

"We should get back, Pans."

Nodding, she replied, "We should; I hate this blasted forest."

* * *

Hermione blinked twice, wondering if she really was _that_ exhausted to imagine Draco smiling a ghost of a smile. Sitting back down, Hermione saw Luna coming into view and plopping down, next to Draco. She heard the words Pansy, night, and charms. Seeing that the two were engrossed in a quiet conversation, Hermione leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes.

Despite the rough bark digging into her back, Hermione relaxed. She had been on her own for a while, and it was almost comforting being with some familiars—no matter how different. Blaise and Pansy were definitely a surprise. In the back of her mind, she had assumed that they would join the remaining Death Eaters. But yet again, she thought Draco… well, Draco. During their sixth year, she had run into Draco a couple of times. Even though it was so long ago, she could still feel Draco's lips on hers. Their encounters consisted of fleeting kisses; it meant nothing—right?

However, Hermione couldn't suppress the slight shiver as she remembered Draco's firm hands grasping her arm, or the way he stared into her eyes when he touched her hair—their first encounter since Hogwarts. Finding comfort in her memories, Hermione willed herself to sleep, until a voice pulled her out of the past.

"You were shivering," Draco stated.

Hermione sat up, "It's nothing—really."

"Are you cold?"

Eyeing the blanket he held in his right hand, Hermione shook her head, "No, I'm fine."

"Alright" murmured Draco, dropping the blanket at her feet.

Grabbing the blanket, Hermione scrambled to her feet. "Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Did you set up any wards? I'm assuming you have… but I just wanted to make sure."

He turned around, meeting her gaze, "Luna told me you were good with charms—feel free to strengthen the enchantments around our little camp, Granger."

Hermione wanted to respond but what? Would she say _thank you_? _I was actually thinking of you? _So she gave Draco a nod, pulled out her wand, and began reciting the incantations she had memorized long ago.

As she whispered the last of the spells, she heard Luna's footsteps approaching. Luna's was the only one that was light and slow. Tucking her wand in the pocket of her jeans, Hermione gave a weak smile, "That'll do it. The camp isn't that big though; the charms in place earlier didn't cover that much space."

"That's fine, Hermione—we usually sleep really close to each other," remarked Luna with a lilt.

"Oh—I see."

"I wouldn't worry too much, Hermione. I have a feeling that Wiltshire's the right way to go."

"How come?"

Glancing up towards the sky, Luna sighed, "Moon frogs."

Hermione looked briefly at the night sky and nodded. "We're probably going to get closer to more Death Eaters."

Luna smiled, "What a perfect place to hide, then." Gently pulling Hermione back, Luna chimed, "Draco's probably wondering what's taking you so long."

Hermione could see the three Slytherins sitting close. As she neared the trio, Pansy rolled her eyes and dragged Blaise away from Draco. Hermione didn't want to intrude, but she felt Luna tugging her down, next to Draco.

All too aware of Pansy's glare, Hermione wondered if she really was welcome. "I strengthened the charms," she said in a voice so everyone could hear.

"Figures," scoffed Pansy, as she lay down next to Blaise.

Luna broke the silence, "Let's go to sleep now. You can sleep next to me, Hermione. Draco will be on watch duty."

"But—watch duty all night? Are you sure-"

"It's fine, Granger," Draco said with a curt nod.

Settling down next to Luna, Hermione nodded and whispered, "Goodnight."

As she rested her head on her right arm, Hermione cracked one eye open. She could see Draco gripping his wand tightly, the other mindlessly drawing circles in the dirt. Fixating her gaze on the hypnotizing movements of Draco's hand, Hermione felt her eyes drifting shut—vaguely registering two grey eyes meeting hers.


End file.
